Black Women’s Health Imperative Releases Statement on Supreme Court’s Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade

ATLANTA, June 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Michelle Webb, Chief Communications Officer of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that affirmed every woman’s constitutional right to seek an abortion:

“We at the Black Women’s Health Imperative are disheartened and angered by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. As the only national non-profit dedicated solely to improving the physical, emotional, and financial well-being of Black women, we want to be clear: this decision harms all women. But it marks the beginning of a new public health crisis for Black women.

“Given that Black women tend to live in states hostile to reproductive healthcare, Roe’s overturn directly endangers Black women’s lives by exacerbating pre-existing access restrictions. Forcing Black women to carry dangerous, potentially deadly pregnancies to term will worsen the ongoing Black maternal mortality crisis that sees Black women dying from pregnancy at three times the rate of white women.

“The fall of Roe will also condemn Black women who seek abortions due to financial hardship to an inescapable cycle of impoverishment along with the poor health outcomes that accompany it.

“Roe was a significant step toward a more equitable society in which Black women had access to the autonomy and agency they have traditionally been denied. But by overruling nearly fifty years of legal precedent, the Court has turned the clock back on decades of progress made by Black women in America — and fanned the flames of a deadly public health crisis in the process.

“Despite this devastating ruling, the Black Women’s Health Imperative remains fiercely committed to its mission. We will do everything we can to ensure that Black women around the country are able to access safe abortion services, no matter their income level or location. We look forward to working with any individual or group who will help us achieve this goal.

“We won’t back down. Keep fighting with us.”

To learn more, visit https://roe.bwhi.org

SOURCE Black Women’s Health Imperative